Saw this in the A-J, regarding Andrew Sorrells walking on the basketball team. Connections to Mike Singletary and Kent Hance…..
Andrew Sorrells didn’t make much of a first impression on former Texas Tech men’s basketball player Mike Singletary, but the second time they spoke was much more memorable.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
The two met when Sorrells attended a Red Raiders camp — he won the MVP award of the free-throw shooting contest — and watched a few practices. However, Singletary didn’t remember that when he approached Sorrells, shooting by himself at a Lifetime Fitness in summer 2013.
Singletary had seen Sorrells around the facility before but decided to talk to him after noticing his Red Raiders gear. They spoke for about 10 minutes before Singletary invited him to work out with him, figuring they could rebound shots for and motivate each other.
Sorrells gladly accepted and has continued working out with him the past two summers, when Singletary returned home to the Metroplex from his professional basketball career overseas. He calls Singletary his favorite Red Raider, edging out Andre Emmett and Ronald Ross.
Practicing with Singletary helped Sorrells score a school-record 107 3-pointers and average 18.1 points for Birdville last season, the shooting guard’s senior season. The production helped him earn a preferred walk-on opportunity, which he accepted last week, with the Red Raiders.
“I knew something was going to come along,” said Singletary, a forward who averaged 12 points and 32.1 minutes and during his four-year Red Raiders career from 2007-11. “What’s better than playing at the best school in the country?”
Preferred walk-ons aren’t on scholarship, though they are guaranteed a spot on the roster.
Sorrells’ decision to play at Tech shouldn’t be a surprise considering his family’s history there. His grandfather is former Tech chancellor Kent Hance, his parents are Tech alumni and his sister, Ellen, played on the Red Raiders volleyball team for two seasons and is a Tech senior.
“My parents are big Tech fans,” he said. “They loved (my decision). They’re excited because they can visit their daughter and watch me in games.
“I’ve gone to Tech football games as a kid, so I like it. I was led to Texas Tech.”
Sorrells didn’t receive any scholarship offers but had walk-on opportunities at Arkansas-Little Rock and Southern Mississippi and had spoken with Oklahoma State.
Birdville coach Jeff Fitch believes his former player’s recruitment was hurt by his late physical development. He said Sorrells was 5 foot 8 his freshman season and is now 6-3 and 160 pounds.
“You have to get on people’s radar when you’re younger,” Fitch said. “People are going for guys that look a little bit prettier. He’s made himself into a good player the last couple years of high school. He just does the things to make you win games.”
Fitch called Sorrells one of the hardest-working players he’s coached during his 32-year career, someone who’d find time after practice to improve upon whatever Fitch asked him to do.
In Birdville’s Class 5A Region 1 area-round game against Arlington Heights, Sorrells showed how much he had developed. The Hawks trailed by eight points late, but he made consecutive 3-pointers to trim their deficit to two in an eventual 66-57 win.
“He’s a winner,” Fitch said. “He’s not afraid to take a big shot.”
Sorrells scored 31 points in helping the Hawks advance past the second round of the state tournament for the first time in school history. Fitch said it was the only Birdville game Red Raiders head coach Tubby Smith watched in person this season.
Fitch considers himself lucky to have coached Sorrells the past three seasons but thinks his former player needs to keep adding athleticism and strength — he called Sorrells “pretty slight” — in order to defend guards in the Big 12.
Sorrells has one person who believes he can make a big impact at Tech: Singletary. His training partner compares him to former teammate Alan Voskuil, who averaged 8.7 points in 127 games over a four-year Red Raiders career from 2005-09.
“I know a lot of walk-ons are considered to be the harder workers because people think they’re not as talented,” Singletary said. “I will say this guy is one of the more talented that I’ve seen. His best attribute is he can put the ball in the bucket.
“I think in his four years he’s going to work himself into getting a scholarship.”
Andrew Sorrells didn’t make much of a first impression on former Texas Tech men’s basketball player Mike Singletary, but the second time they spoke was much more memorable.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
The two met when Sorrells attended a Red Raiders camp — he won the MVP award of the free-throw shooting contest — and watched a few practices. However, Singletary didn’t remember that when he approached Sorrells, shooting by himself at a Lifetime Fitness in summer 2013.
Singletary had seen Sorrells around the facility before but decided to talk to him after noticing his Red Raiders gear. They spoke for about 10 minutes before Singletary invited him to work out with him, figuring they could rebound shots for and motivate each other.
Sorrells gladly accepted and has continued working out with him the past two summers, when Singletary returned home to the Metroplex from his professional basketball career overseas. He calls Singletary his favorite Red Raider, edging out Andre Emmett and Ronald Ross.
Practicing with Singletary helped Sorrells score a school-record 107 3-pointers and average 18.1 points for Birdville last season, the shooting guard’s senior season. The production helped him earn a preferred walk-on opportunity, which he accepted last week, with the Red Raiders.
“I knew something was going to come along,” said Singletary, a forward who averaged 12 points and 32.1 minutes and during his four-year Red Raiders career from 2007-11. “What’s better than playing at the best school in the country?”
Preferred walk-ons aren’t on scholarship, though they are guaranteed a spot on the roster.
Sorrells’ decision to play at Tech shouldn’t be a surprise considering his family’s history there. His grandfather is former Tech chancellor Kent Hance, his parents are Tech alumni and his sister, Ellen, played on the Red Raiders volleyball team for two seasons and is a Tech senior.
“My parents are big Tech fans,” he said. “They loved (my decision). They’re excited because they can visit their daughter and watch me in games.
“I’ve gone to Tech football games as a kid, so I like it. I was led to Texas Tech.”
Sorrells didn’t receive any scholarship offers but had walk-on opportunities at Arkansas-Little Rock and Southern Mississippi and had spoken with Oklahoma State.
Birdville coach Jeff Fitch believes his former player’s recruitment was hurt by his late physical development. He said Sorrells was 5 foot 8 his freshman season and is now 6-3 and 160 pounds.
“You have to get on people’s radar when you’re younger,” Fitch said. “People are going for guys that look a little bit prettier. He’s made himself into a good player the last couple years of high school. He just does the things to make you win games.”
Fitch called Sorrells one of the hardest-working players he’s coached during his 32-year career, someone who’d find time after practice to improve upon whatever Fitch asked him to do.
In Birdville’s Class 5A Region 1 area-round game against Arlington Heights, Sorrells showed how much he had developed. The Hawks trailed by eight points late, but he made consecutive 3-pointers to trim their deficit to two in an eventual 66-57 win.
“He’s a winner,” Fitch said. “He’s not afraid to take a big shot.”
Sorrells scored 31 points in helping the Hawks advance past the second round of the state tournament for the first time in school history. Fitch said it was the only Birdville game Red Raiders head coach Tubby Smith watched in person this season.
Fitch considers himself lucky to have coached Sorrells the past three seasons but thinks his former player needs to keep adding athleticism and strength — he called Sorrells “pretty slight” — in order to defend guards in the Big 12.
Sorrells has one person who believes he can make a big impact at Tech: Singletary. His training partner compares him to former teammate Alan Voskuil, who averaged 8.7 points in 127 games over a four-year Red Raiders career from 2005-09.
“I know a lot of walk-ons are considered to be the harder workers because people think they’re not as talented,” Singletary said. “I will say this guy is one of the more talented that I’ve seen. His best attribute is he can put the ball in the bucket.
“I think in his four years he’s going to work himself into getting a scholarship.”
